SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA Spotlight

Mr. Curtis Hoover

"Mr. Hoover, 1977. School's first ever medal winner."

Ms. Robin Mearman

SkillsUSA provides a truly enriching experience for the students who pass through CATN. Whether it be a chance to serve in leadership roles within the school community or the potential opportunity to compete against students from around the region, state, and country, SkillsUSA opens many doors for students that otherwise would not be there.

A program as vast and as far reaching as SkillsUSA would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the teachers within the building. Two teachers at CATN in particular, Mrs. Robin Mearman and Mr. Curtis Hoover, stand out as the heart and soul of CATN SkillsUSA program.

Mrs. Mearman, CATN Network Systems teacher, has been involved in SkillsUSA since March of 2003. She was an FBLA member when she was a student in high school and remembered how important that membership was to her overall experience as a student. “When I became a teacher here at CATN,” Mrs. Mearman commented, “and saw how SkillsUSA not only connected students, but helped them develop leadership skills, network with future employers, and grow as potential job candidates, I was hooked.”

As a SkillsUSA advisor for more than a decade, Mrs. Mearman has been involved in every aspect of the program, whether it was serving as a contest chair or judge for regional and state competitions or facilitating advanced statesman events at the annual SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference. To become even more deeply involved with SkillsUSA at the state level, Mrs. Mearman became a SkillsUSA State Board Member in 2012. She currently is serving as the SkillsUSA State Financial Officer.

Mr. Hoover, the school’s Masonry teacher, started as a SkillsUSA student here at CATN back in 1974, when SkillsUSA was known as VICA (Vocational Industrial Club of America) and CATN was called North Arundel Vo-Tech. In 1976-77, he was the school’s first state medal winner, which places him among the longest running SkillsUSA alumnus in the entire area. Mr. Hoover returned to CATN as a teacher in 1993, and immediately picked up where he left off as a student, quickly becoming instrumental in almost every aspect of the program, from attending state and national conferences to running school-based fundraisers. Mr. Hoover became a full-fledged SkillsUSA State Board Member in 2015.

“Watching, year after year, how kids grow because of their involvement in SkillsUSA is really something great to see,” Mr. Hoover explained. “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a kid say he or she can’t do something, and then watch them go out and compete at a high level during a competition is what’s it’s all about. It’s remarkable how the organization can really help to open up so many doors for students.”

Both Mr. Hoover and Mrs. Mearman have been fixtures for many years at both the Fall Leadership Conference held up in Ocean City every November and at the week-long National Convention held each June out in Louisville, Kentucky (previously in Kansas City).

“The amount of personal time they give up for the betterment of the SkillsUSA program and for the students of CATN should not be taken for granted,” remarked Russ Cordua, CATN’s SkillsUSA lead advisor. “Curtis and Robin truly are the lifeblood of the program, and have been for many, many years. The school and our students owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.”

Like for the last decade or more, Mr. Hoover and Mrs. Mearman, along with Assistant Principal, Adam Sheinhorn, will be chaperoning ten CATN students out to Louisville during the week of June 20th to compete in the national competition. We wish them a safe and rewarding trip, and thank them, once again, for their time, energy, and dedication on behalf of our CATN community.

For more information about SkillsUSA, contact Russ Cordua, Lead Advisor at rcordua@aacps.org.

2017 State SkillsUSA Competition

Congratulations to Our State SkillsUSA Medalists!

Gold Medalists

Action Skills:Austin Koenig

Auto Refinishing Technology: Taylor Hill

Collision Repair Technology: Cheyenne Howard

Culinary Arts: Ashley Anson

Information Technology Services: Jonathan Boyle

Job Skills Demo A: Nikkie Navarro

Job Skills Demo Open: Haley Williams

Motorcycle Service Technology: Andrew Coale

Restaurant Services: Ian Griffin

Silver Medalists

Action Skills:

Automotive Refinishing Technology: Joshua Odum

Collision Repair Technology: Kyle Derr

Commercial Baking: Heather Carpintieri

Electrical Construction Wiring: Logan Warren

Graphic Communication: Kaylene Rockey

Health Knowledge Bowl: Riley MacIntyre

Health Knowledge Bowl:Caytlyn Rose

Health Knowledge Bowl: Hannah Gruber

Health Knowledge Bowl: Tara Gabrielsen

Internetworking: Nathan Ho

Job Skills Demo A: Matthew Stevens

Job Skills Demo Open: An Thai

Plumbing: Tyler Green

Bronze Medalists

Action Skills: Benjamin Ridenbaugh

Industrial Motor Control: Oluwafemi Odekunle

Gold medalist head to Louisville, Ky., June 19-23, 2017, for the 53nd annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, a showcase of career and technical education students. More than 16,000 people — including students, teachers and business partners — are expected to participate in the week-long event.